Malassada

A malasada (or malassada) is a Portuguese confection related to the doughnut, or more appropriately the Paczki and its variants. They were first made by inhabitants of São Miguel Island, part of the Azores. They are very popular in the New Bedford and Fall River, Massachusetts region, which has a large Portuguese population. Malasadas are made of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil and coated with granulated sugar. Traditional malasadas contain neither holes nor fillings, but some varieties of malasadas are filled with flavored cream or other fillings.

Traditionally, the reason for making malasadas has been to use up all the lard and sugar in the house, traditionally forbidden during Lent. They are eaten especially on Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

In 1878, Portuguese laborers from the Azores came to Hawaii to work in the plantations. These immigrants brought their traditional foods with them, and today there are numerous bakeries in the islands specializing in malasadas. The most notable bakeries are on Oahu, with Leonard's Bakery and Champion Malasadas in Honolulu at the top of the list. The annual Punahou School Carnival is a popular venue for malasadas. On the Big Island of Hawaii, the Tex Drive In in Honoka'a[1] is popular.

Malasadas are also popular on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where they are called "flippers."

Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"), the day before Lent, is also known as Malasada Day in Hawaii. Being predominantly Catholic, Portuguese immigrants would need to use up all of their butter and sugar prior to Lent. They did so by making large batches of malasadas, which they would subsequently share with friends from all the other ethnic groups in the plantation camps. This led to the popularity of the malasada in Hawaii. Still a tradition in Hawaii, Leonard's Bakery experiences long lines to purchase discounted malasadas on this day.

See also

• Cuisine of Hawaii

External links

• History of the malasada